Hanford horton



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HANFORD HORTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PACKING PISTONS FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 21,678, dated October 5, 1858.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HANroRD HonroN, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Packing the Pistonsof Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fulland exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

he nature of my invention consists in a new mode of applying springs forthe purpose of keeping the packing rings in their places, and preventingthe rings from working against the follower and the main portion of thepiston (in the upright cylinder), by which means the wear and consequentnecessity of frequent refitting s greatly lessened.

To enable others skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure A is intended to represent a half section of the ordinary piston.

a, l, 9., 3, are, three metallic rings, surrounding the piston,(breaking joints as usual,) and kept in their position by the springs 5,5 5 &c., which by their pressure, on the lower surface of rings 2 and 3and on the upper surface of rings 1 and 3 of the lower set, has theeffect of keeping, apart, and in their proper places, the upper set a 1,2, 3, and the lower set b l, 2 3.

The rings 3, 3, are pressed outward and kept in their proper place bythe spring L in the mode now in use.

A rim of sheet iron b, 5 or other metal is interposed between the spring'-1 and the metallic rings 3, 3, and a similar rim of sheet iron may beinserted in the space 7, 7, between the rings 7, 2 and 7, 1 extendingaround the piston and covering the edges of the springs 5, 5 ac., andbetween them and the inner surface of the cylinder.

l hat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The application of the figure 8 or other appropriate spring betweenthe upper and the lower set of metallic cylinder rings, as herein beforedescribed and set forth, by which an upward and a downward pressure isobtained on said rings.

I do not claim the application of springs to produce an outwardpressure, said springs acting on a single or spring ring which keeps outthe two cylinder rings as that has heretofore been in use by others aswell as myself but 2. I do claim the combination of the six rings a, 1,2, 3,v b l, 2, 3, with the gure of S or other appropriate spring betweenthem, to produce an upward and downward pressure, in combination withthe ligure of 8 or other appropriate spring acting on the two springrings producing an outward pressure on the four cylinder rings, thusmaking a steam tight joint, on the upper edge of the upper cylinderring, as well as on the lower edge of the lower cylinder ring, and alsoon the cylinder surface of the cylinder rings.

HANFORD HORTON.

Witnesses HAMILTON MoR'roN, A. VAN HORNE ELLIS.

